Vladimir Avramovich Aleksenko (; 27 January 1923 – 16 June 1995) was a ground-attack aviation squadron and regimental commander during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

who was twice awarded the title

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. He was awarded his first Hero of the Soviet Union award for making 107 attack sorties, and his second award was for making another 143 sorties, but by the end of the war he reached a total of 292 attack sorties. After the war he remained in the military, becoming a became a

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

after graduation from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Between 1967 and 1974, he commanded the 5th Air Army.

Early life

Aleksenko was born on 27 January 1923 in the village of Kievskoye in

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...

to a Russian peasant family. In 1940, he graduated from high school and participated in the Krasnodar flying club. In May 1941, he was drafted into the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

World War II

In 1942, Aleksenko graduated from the Krasnodar Military Pilots' Flying School. He joined the Communist Party in 1943. In February 1943, Aleksenko became an

Ilyushin Il-2 The Ilyushin Il-2 ( Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (Cyrillic: штурмовик), the generic Russian term ...

pilot in the 15th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment on the

Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front () was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front on August 27, 1941. History The Leningrad Front was immediately ...

with the rank of junior lieutenant. During early 1944, Aleksenko flew attack sorties during the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive, which broke the siege of Leningrad. In the summer of 1944 he participated in the

Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of Wor ...

, which helped end the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

. On 12 June, Aleksenko and his flight engaged German fighters, with Aleksenko shooting down two of them. In the fall, he flew sorties in the Baltic Offensive. From January 1945, Aleksenko, the a squadron commander, fought in the East Prussian Offensive. In February, he became the regimental deputy commander. On 27 April, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

for reportedly making 107 successful assault sorties against German troop and equipment concentrations. In February 1945 he was promoted to assistant commander of his regiment, and that month he was nominated to receive a second gold star for having flown 250 sorties. He received it after the end of the war, and by that time he had flown 292 sorties against German fortifications, airfields and troop concentrations. He reportedly destroyed numerous aircraft on the ground, 33 tanks, 118 vehicles, 53 rail cars, 85 rail carriages, 54 anti-aircraft guns, 10 warehouses with ammunition, 27 artillery guns, 12 mortars. His attacks had also reportedly killed 1300 German soldiers.

Postwar

In 1954, Aleksenko graduated from the

Air Force Academy An air force academy or air academy is a national institution that provides initial officer training, possibly including undergraduate level education, to air force officer cadets who are preparing to be commissioned officers in a national air forc ...

. In 1952, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. Between 1959 and 1963, he served as a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR at its 5th convocation. Between 1967 and 1974, he was commander of the 5th Air Army in

Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

in 1968. Between 1971 and 1975, Aleksenko again was a deputy of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet for its 8th convocation. He retired in 1978 and lived in Odesa. He died on 16 June 1995 and is buried at the city's Second Christian Cemetery.

Awards

* Twice

(19 April 1945 and 29 June 1945) *

(19 April 1945) * Four

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

(25 July 1944, 5 November 1944, 22 February 1945, and 21 February 1974) *

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

(2 November 1944) * Two

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

(1st class - 11 March 1985; 2nd class - 12 August 1943) * Two

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

(26 July 1943 and 30 December 1974) * Order of 9 September 1944 (October 1977) * campaign and jubilee medals

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aleksenko, Vladimir 1923 births 1995 deaths People from Krymsky District Heroes of the Soviet Union Soviet lieutenant generals Soviet Air Force generals Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Soviet World War II pilots